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Iphone 7: Is it a poor brand extension?

Apple is arguably regarded by many as best brand in modern times. Apple has always stood for enablement & its minimalistic design. It is the creator’s brand with tools such as GarageBand, numerous fonts, Keynote and more. It is a brand for the fan, who can pick and choose. Many other brands of computers and tablets have similar features. But Apple as a brand ‘owns’ this “white space” & has defined the category.

The brand has been fighting issues of slowdown after era of its iconic founder Steve Jobs. First came the colors, aesthetically pleasing but which did not resonate with the brand. Then came the features- a photograph that has a ‘real’ moment. This was more of a gimmick considering the fact that it never gave power to the customer. Hence brand has seen a dilution in the last one to two years. Even now it makes a handsome margin of around 24% which is unheard off, but the wheels are looking to come off. In quest of larger markets and broad appeal it’s looking to make lower handsets which will dilute the brand equity in the long run. Many Experts are of view that it’s time for apple to revisit its purpose.

Hence the new launch of Iphone 7 & Apple watch was observed keenly by consumers & Competitors alike. Will it rejuvenate the brand? Here are the results

Dual Camera- new dual camera allows for true 2x optical zoom without comprimise of image quality. One of the lenses is equivalent to 28mm for wide angle shots (like a standard iPhone camera), while the other has a closer, 60mm equivalent lens. Switching between the two cameras is seamless in the iPhone 7 Plus’ camera app – just tap the 1x or 2x button and the camera will switch automatically. You can zoom further, up to 10x,

The camera in standard sized iPhone 7 has been upgraded with optical image stabilization and a brighter f/1.8 lens that lets in 50 percent more light than the iPhone 6S’ lens. Apple says the new 12-megapixel sensor, which has the same resolution as last year’s phone, is 60 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient. It’s coupled with a new image processing chip and quad-LED flash that produces 50 percent more light. Apple’s Phil Schiller boasts that the new processing engine leverages machine learning and has “supercomputer performance.” The front camera on the iPhone 7 has been bumped to 7 megapixels with automatic image stabilization for better selfies and video recording.

Apple Watch 2

Swim proof upto 50 metres

GPS chip

Faster processor-Dual core S2 processor

Brighter Display

New white ceramic model

Nike+ edition

The aluminium sport version of Apple Watch Series 2 will start at $369, as will the Nike+ edition. The original Apple Watch is being rebranded as Series 1 and will start at $269

Two noteworthy changes:

New water resistant shell, which makes the watch swimproof up to 50 meters GPS chip- will allow the device to perform mapping on its own, no phone required

Iphone 7 product features don’t look earth shaking & seem to a minor change to previous product line. Apple watch 2 Seems to have a good differentiator true to the apple spirit.By adding Pokemon go to Apple watch 2 Tim cook seems to have made a good move